


Price Wars

by PetraTodd



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Comedy, Crack, F/M, Game Shows, Humor, Romance, The Price is Right AU, i ain't even sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 01:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5893417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetraTodd/pseuds/PetraTodd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when fate steps in and Rey finds herself on one of America's most beloved TV game shows, facing off against a striking competitor who takes his study of TV game shows very seriously.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Price Wars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dietplainlite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietplainlite/gifts).



> This is what happens when you joke to your friend that there should be an AU where Kylo and Rey meet up in Contestants' Row at The Price Is Right. This is pure crackfic. I don't claim to depict the ins and out of appearing on The Price Is Right in an accurate way. It's just shenanigans.

Rey awoke with a start as a fluorescent pink shirt landed on her face. “Ooof. I’m sleeping, Jess.” She groaned and tugged the thin blanket over her head.

“Yeah but this is so much _better._ Come on, we’ve got to get there early.” Jess pulled the cover back and grinned down at her roommate. “At least try the shirt on. We worked on them all week.”

Knowing it was a losing battle, Rey fished the t-shirt out from under her blanket. “I could be on the water today. The waves are going to be fantastic.” She rubbed her eyes and squinted at the blocky black lettering on the shirt. She felt a glimmer of excitement spark inside her. The t-shirt design, while not exactly high-quality, was eye-catching.

“You work in a surf shop, anyway. Don’t you ever get tired of that stuff?” Jess shrugged and headed for their tiny kitchen.

“Working there doesn’t mean I get to do it as much as I’d like. Selling it isn’t the same as using it.” Rey’s feet landed on the floor with a thud as she threw her covers aside. She set the pink t-shirt aside and looked up. “And we don’t exactly live on the shore. This isn’t Malibu.”

Jess returned with a Starbucks cup, and Rey accepted it gratefully. God bless Jess’s girlfriend and her generosity in slipping them free beverages. The warmth, the hint of hazelnut and the hit of caffeine flowed through her, and she instantly felt better. She never felt ready to take on the world when the gnawing hollowness in her gut was present. Coffee would do for now.

She’d run low on groceries three days before and her next paycheck wasn’t for another week. Grazing on Jess’s cereal and drinking only water would get her by. Despite the life she’d led in a string of foster homes with empty cupboards, she never got used to being hungry. You could only fool your system by drinking lots of water for so long. She had three more semesters of college and then she’d be able to use a mechanical engineering degree to fix her life, but until then, she just had to survive. Luckily, it was what she was best at.

And luckily, she had found an incredible group of friends at school who occasionally dragged her into ridiculous escapades that kept life from getting too dull.

Jess crossed her arms and checked her watch. “You’re kind of a drag in the morning, you know that?” She pulled out her phone and typed out a quick text. “Our ride will be here in twenty minutes. Time enough for a quick shower. Which you should do.” Jess smiled, held an imaginary microphone to her mouth and boomed, “Because you just might be…the next contestant onnnnnn… _THE PRICE IS RIGHT!”_

“Oh shut up,” Rey laughed, setting down the coffee and heading for the shower.

 

* * *

 

There was those who said that Kylo Ren took his study of TV game shows too seriously. Those people never said that to his face, however. They knew better.

It was understandable that he’d be interested in the genre, given his heritage. It was a well-known and loved story that his parents had met on _The Dating Game_. On this particularly notorious episode, the bachelorette, educated socialite Leia Organa, had chosen the rogueish Bachelor #3, a fellow named Han Solo. It was infamous because she dumped him right there on air before the credits rolled when he made an off-color joke about pianists. The confounded host offered to let Leia choose another bachelor, but she ignored him, leaving the host to plaster a confused grin on his face as the music played them off.

The episode was memorable. Therefore, people were confused when two years later, Leia Organa and Han Solo appeared together on _The Newlywed Game_ , trouncing the competition. Their sparring was fierce, but they knew each other inside and out. This time the credits rolled over the winning couple’s kiss.

Three years later, Leia made a splash on Jeopardy!, becoming a five-day trivia champion while barely breaking a sweat. She made it to the semi-finals in the Tournament of Champions, and in the interview portion, talked glowingly about her newborn son, Ben.

Less interested in the cerebral shows, Han Solo popped up on _Press Your Luck_ and _Wheel of Fortune_ and took home large cash prizes from both.

“And the turtle wax. The goddamned turtle wax, don’t forget that,” Han would say, rolling his eyes when rattling off his career winnings.

"No whammies! No whammies!" Ben clapped. 

"That's right, kiddo." Han rubbed his young son's silky head.

 Ben grew up watching his parents display their brilliance and their wit on television screens and across the dinner table. He was also witness to their arguments and the pettiness that American viewers hadn’t been privy to since _The Dating Game_. There was an uneasiness to their home, an air of competition that never quite went away. Ben buried himself in books, taking comfort in the steady repetition of trivia facts and the calculation of statistical odds. He discovered game theory in high school and it excited him more than any sport. He studied the patterns apparent in the games that made up the fabric of his childhood, and as he grew, so did his pool of knowledge.

“He’s got more of your side of the family in him,” Han would grumble.

“You’re damn right he does,” Leia would beam.

By the time he was eighteen, Ben could take on his parents in any game and win.

Games brought the Organa-Solo family together, time and time again. But it was ultimately a game show that finally tore them apart.

When it came time for _Family Feud_ \- Han’s white whale, the show he was sure his clan could take easily- Ben refused to sign on the dotted line to appear.

At eighteen, he was already taller than his father and as stubborn as his mother. But still, Han’s fury was terrible. Ben refused to explain himself to his father. The more Han pushed, the more Ben retreated until after a week of arguing, the boy stormed out, refusing to ever take part in any Organa-Solo games ever again.

He moved out a few days later, and Ben Solo ceased to exist.

* * *

_“From the Bob Barker CBS Studios in Hollywood, it's… The Price is Right!”_

The famous theme music crested and the crowd exploded on cue. Caught up in the frenzy, Rey found herself screaming and cheering along with the rest of the audience. The noise was overwhelming and left her buzzing; she felt as though she was coasting on the wave of sound. Around her, her friends clapped and shouted as the crowd prepared for the big introduction.

The room was bursting with color, from the multihued retro curtains to the flashing lights to the hopeful flock of wannabe contestants filling up the studio. Her, Jess, Finn and Poe formed a bright block of hot pink in their shirts. Finn had pushed for the color, knowing it would flatter them all. Plus, _The Price is Right_ supposedly loved people with distinct t-shirts, and big personalities to go with them.

Glancing down at her chest, Rey admired Finn’s handiwork. Across her shirt, it read _England Loves The Price Is Right!_ She grinned. In the quick interview segment each contestant received before they filed into the audience, Rey had played up coming from the UK as a kid, knowing it would set her apart and make her more likely to get picked. She figured if she hauled herself out of bed this early, she’d might as well make a proper go of it. Maybe she could win one of those hot tubs. Not that she and Jess had anywhere to put it, but they could sell it on Craig’s List.

The announcer’s mic roared to life and the audience’s excitement reached fever pitch as the names were finally called. Rey didn’t care about games, she was only here because of her friends…but the moment he started calling out names, Rey never wanted to hear hers spoken so desperately.

_“Rory Hux, come on down!”_

A pale red-haired young man jumped up from amid a crowd of frat boys all wearing the same Greek-lettered sweatshirts. He smugly waved at the camera and jogged to Contestants Row.

_“Maz Kanata, come on down!”_

A beautiful young woman wearing thick glasses popped up near the front of the audience, smiling and hugging her friends as she joined the young man.

_“Snap Wexley, come on down!_

A heavyset middle-aged man in a garish orange jumpsuit leaped from his seat several rows ahead of Rey, screaming and waving his hands in the air, with his buddies chanting “Snap! Snap! Snap!” _CLEVELAND ROCKS_ was painted across his suit, front and back.

(“Oh could he BE any more obvious with that ploy? Cleveland?” Jess whispered to Poe. “Well it worked,” he replied drily.)

And finally for the last name, every contestant was on edge, breathless and waiting.

_“Kylo Ren, come on down!”_

Rey surprised herself with the rush of disappointment she felt, sinking back into her seat. Jess shrugged, Finn craned his neck around to see the last contestant stand up a few rows behind them, and Rey followed his gaze.

The announcer finished, “You’re the first four contestants on _The Price is Right_ and NOW here's your host, DREW CAREY!”

As the last contestant headed down the aisle, Drew arrived onstage and the audience went wild for him. Rey couldn’t have told anyone what the host said then for all the prizes in the studio because she had just caught sight of the final contestant.

“What the hell kind of name is Kylo,” she said weakly. Jess side-eyed her and bounced in her seat excitedly as Drew spoke warmly to the crowd.

What actually went through Rey’s mind was more like, _Wow_. _Those are really good hands._

Which didn’t make a whole lot of sense. But it was what she noticed as Kylo Ren passed their row. The young man didn’t shout or over-react for the camera as the others did. He ran a hand through his long dark hair- whether for vanity or for nerves, she couldn’t guess- and moved steadily toward Contestants Row with a content smile on his face. Watching him stroll all the way down, Rey threw a prayer heavenward for whoever made black jeans popular again for men in the Los Angeles area. Or maybe they never went out of style, like the snug black t-shirt he wore.  

“Whoever bids closest to the actual retail price without going over…” Drew Carey rambled.

Rey snapped out of her daze and realized the game was actually beginning. The first item for bidding was rolled out – a lovely wooden desk.

The audience joined in the fun, calling out recommendations for the players. The range of bets was way off, Rey realized immediately. She’d seen desks of the same brand while working in a secondhand shop in high school- it seemed like a simple piece of furniture but was worth well over a thousand dollars, she’d guess. “It’s between 12 and 1300,” she said shouted, but her voice was lost in the crowd. Three players bid far below Rey’s estimate, off by at least five hundred dollars, she believed.

The dark-haired young man who’d caught her eye stared intensely at the desk for a minute, and said decisively, “Fourteen hundred dollars, Drew.”

Drew squinted at the price card in his hand, and then pronounced, “Actual retail price issssssss….$1249! Winning bid with $750 is Snap! Come on up here, Snap!”

The orange jumpsuit man threw his hands in the air and bellowed, “Wooooohoooooo! Yeaaaaaaaaaah!” He rushed past the other contestants. No one could miss the dirty look that Kylo Ren gave Snap as he passed.

“Ouch, that other guy was close. That’s rough,” Finn observed. “He’s kind of a dick though. Did you see that?”

“Yeah, I did.” Rey wrinkled her nose. Jumpsuit Guy was annoying but she liked to think she would have better sportsmanship than that. Kylo was hot, but he was a jerk. “That’s it, I’m rooting for the woman with the glasses next round.”

* * *

Snap mugged for the camera, jumping around and enjoying every moment of his time with Drew. They bonded over Cleveland and then Snap quickly crashed and burned playing Swap Meet.

“Over in a snap.” Jess giggled.                                                                                                                                                                  

“Oh god, that’s terrible,” Rey laughed.

“Sorry, Snap! We’ll see you in the Showcase Showdown!” Drew called out to the announcer. “Who do you have for us next?”

“Here’s the next contestant-“

Rey’s stomach rumbled and she started to wish she’d had more of that coffee before they left home. “Jess, do you have any gum?”

“-onnnn _The Price Is Right!”_

Jess impatiently dug in her jacket pockets, and focused on her friend, Rey was only half-listening to the crowd around her.

“Rey……….come…on…down!”

Rey’s eyes bugged out. “Did he just…?”

Jess popped the stick of gum in her mouth and nodded, a wry smile growing on her face.

Finn and Poe touched her shoulders, laughing and cheering. “Rey! It’s you! Didn’t you hear it?! GO!!!”

Rey stood, and the camera found her in the audience. The people cheered for her as though they knew her, and she felt her face flush with warmth. Rey grinned and jogged down to take the spot vacated by Snap, alongside Kylo Ren.

She thought it might’ve been the most surreal moment of her life, standing at the spot she’d seen so often on television. She exchanged nervous smiles with the woman beside her, Maz. Looking to her left, she was forced to look up several inches before finding the serious face of Kylo looking down at her.

“Hello,” Rey said.

Kylo raised his eyebrows and returned his gaze to the host.

“Alright, show us the next item up for bid!” Drew said.

“Why, it’s a pair of paddle boards!”

Rey had to bite her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing. How many paddle boards had she sold just like it? Was there any piece of water equipment that she couldn’t price down to the nickel? She couldn’t stop herself from bouncing at her spot _. She knew this._ And if she played this right, these beauties would be hers to take home!

Maz bid high, far too high, over $2000. The redheaded frat boy did a little better but Rey knew it was still too high at $1700.

Remembering his sensible bid in the first game, Rey tensed.

Kylo’s unerring eyes took in the equipment, assessing it and the man finally said, “$1500, Drew.”

Rey couldn’t contain herself any longer. She beamed, and felt her dimples form. Drew laughed, and said, “Well, Rey, you seem to be having a good time! Good. What do you bid for these paddle boards?”

Rey felt Kylo turn to look at her. She quickly glanced up at him, eyes sparkling, and then looked back to the host. She announced firmly:

“ONE DOLLAR, DREW!”

* * *

He was caught somewhere between fascination and wishing she’d get the hell out of there.

Kylo Ren had a plan for _The Price Is Right_. It was a fairly predictable show that used regular pricing games, and product costs that were certainly researchable. The game employed a lot of common sense, something he had in spades. There was an element of luck, of course, but that’s what made it a game. The variables should all have been controlled to a degree.

She wasn’t one of the variables he’d mapped out.

He first noticed her in the audience, a few rows ahead of him while waiting for the show to get started. She’d been talking with her friends and laughing, her hazel eyes shining. The pink shirt she wore showed off her tan and her wavy chestnut hair beautifully, but it wasn’t really her looks that caught his attention so much as the way she held herself. Everyone in the studio was so jittery, loud, constantly moving and seeking attention but something about the young woman seemed self-possessed.

He’d set aside the woman when his name was called just as he planned. He gave the producers and interviewers exactly what they wanted in a contestant in the pre-show screening. Now he could play the game as he wanted- for big money, and he wasn’t even surprised he was one of the first four in Contestants Row. He would’ve been disappointed in his abilities if he hadn’t managed it.

Overbidding slightly on the first item up did throw him but he was close. He couldn’t expect perfection. He knew it might take a few bidding games to get onstage.

He wasn’t anticipating the young woman being called down to the row with him, her hip brushing him as she passed by him to take her place at his right. He smelled the faint coconut scent of her, and when she looked up at him, her awkward “Hello” carried fascinating traces of an English accent.

He shut her out and focused on the game; everything was easier when it was just about the game. His bid was sound, he knew. He’d seen paddle boards and their prices before, so he felt this was the prize that would get him onstage and one step closer to the wheel, and then the showcase.

“One dollar, Drew!” Rey said, her face radiant.

_One dollar? Had he missed something? Gone over again_? Kylo frowned, re-running the calculations. _My bid is sound. She’s probably just throwing that bid out there because she doesn’t know what to say._

But Kylo felt her triumph from where he stood. He had a terribly bad feeling about this.

“The actual retail price of the paddle boards is…….$1490!” Drew said gleefully, reading the price. “Which means everyone is over except for REY- ONE DOLLAR IS THE WINING BID! Come on up here, Rey!”

* * *

The next couple minutes were a complete blur for Rey. The blindingly bright lights of the studio and the roar of the crowd filled her head as she raced from the row up to the stage.  As she caught her breath alongside the host Drew, she centered herself by staring down at the faces of the people she’d defeated. The snide frat boy Hux looked unimpressed, and Rey felt glad she’d beaten him. Lovely Maz with her thick glasses observed her in return with a canniness that was unnerving.

She expected Kylo Ren to look disgusted with her as he’d been annoyed with Snap, but she found his large dark eyes regarding her with something akin to awe, and dawning respect.

Rey couldn’t help herself- she grinned even wider as their eyes met. _That’s right_ , she thought _. I won. Even if I don’t win this part, I’m still here. I still beat you._

A large microphone was pushed into her face, and Drew Carey was chattering away. “England, huh? Too bad the prices aren’t in euros!”

“Uh,” Rey said, but he didn’t wait for her response.

“It’s time to play Coming or Going!”

The pricing game rolled into place and Rey realized that perhaps she should’ve watched _The Price is Right_ more than half a dozen times in her life before attempting to get on the program. Panic bubbled up in her gut and the reality of the stakes set in. Her stomach churned as Drew explained the rules of the game, and Rey nodded desperately, hoping she’d grasped it right. It was only when her face started to ache that she realized she’d been smiling like an idiot the entire time.

The game seemed simple enough- to find the price of the prize, she had to guess which of the two possibilities it could be. Essentially they were the same numbers, only forward or in reverse order.

“Are you ready to play, Rey?”

“Yes!” she said too loudly. Finding her friends’ faces in the audience, she saw them all giving her a thumbs up and at once, she felt more herself. “Heck yeah I am, let’s do this!”

“Rey, you’ll be Coming or Going if you win…this fabulous trip to Cancun! A seven-night stay at the Buena Vista Resort for you and a guest. It’s luxury, it’s bliss…it’s Buena Vista Cancuuuuuuuun!”

The audience roared with approval, and Rey started laughing at she realized Jess was pointing at herself and mouthing something that she was almost positive was, _“Take me with you!”_

The digits were unveiled, and Drew looked at her expectantly. The audience members screamed and held up their fingers to represent numbers, offering their advice. Rey felt the crush of their thoughts and for a moment, her brain completely whited out- she had no idea what the price could be. It was simply a jumble of numbers.

Rey did then what she always did- she turned inward and found the place inside her that centered her throughout her life. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and felt a smooth flow of energy similar to when she rode a wave to the end. The numbers shifted inside her brain, and then Rey knew.

“To the right. That’s the price, Drew.” Rey smiled, and she wasn’t even shocked when the model revealed she’d won a trip to Cancun.

* * *

She couldn’t even buy groceries but she’d be visiting a Mexican resort this year, Rey thought ruefully. She pressed her palms to her face, feeling the heat there. And it wasn’t over yet. There was still the Showcase Showdown. She stood waiting for the break to end, as the host chatted with a producer and sorted out the next round of play.

“This is a dream come true, isn’t it?” Maz croaked beside her. The woman had won the next game after Rey’s, taking home a new Chevy Cruze. The voice emanating from her flawless young face was intriguingly raspy and mature. Across her magenta t-shirt was printed, _CANTINA QUEENS_. Noticing Rey reading her shirt, Maz explained, “My bowling team, in Boston. We all came out to California together.”

“Oh I see. Yeah, it’s a dream…To be honest, I didn’t think much about it before I came here. It was my friends’ idea.”

Maz smiled. “It may have been your friends’ idea to come here, but you won the game, Rey. And you’re still in it. We always have the choice about whether to play or not.”

The technicians onstage fussed over the large wheel for the showdown, and the tension among the three contestants grew.

“Damn, this is it!” Snap said. “I’m going to spin the shit out of that thing.”

Maz and Rey exchanged eyerolls and both women laughed quietly.

“Good luck, Maz.”

She squeezed Rey’s shoulder as the coordinators began shuffling the contestants into place onstage. “You too, Rey.”

* * *

“Welcome back, everybody. Let’s spin the wheel and send someone to the showcase. Who do you want to say hello to?” Drew held out the mic to Snap.

“I just wanna give a shout-out to my boys and to my wife back in Ohio, and my dog Dooku, and to my brother Trip and to my grandma Mary who watches the show every day! She loves you, Drew! She wants me to give you a big hug and a kiss!”

The showcase showdown began with a sputter, as Snap hooted and hollered “C’mon, one dollar, one dollar!” He spun the wheel once and then again until he was eliminated with over a dollar.

The sad trombone sounded and the audience “Awwwww”ed for the man. Drew shook his hand, and Snap trotted off, waving to his new fans.

That left the two women facing off.

Petite Maz stepped up to the huge glittering wheel, giving it a good spin. While a small woman, her biceps showed strength from her hours in bowling alleys and her eyes were wise. The wheel spun and then came back around while the audience cheered and waited as it slowed…and slowed…and slowed….

And landed on 95 cents.

_Goddamn,_ Rey thought.

“I’ll stay, Drew,” Maz pronounced happily, and took her place beneath the numbers sign with her score.

“That’s going to be a tough one to beat, Rey! You have to get a dollar to win now,” the host reminded her.

Rey sucked in breath and exhaled slowly through her nose, willing her racing heartbeat to slow down. She sought that quiet place inside her again as she placed her hands on the edges of the massive wheel. The lights and the tension of the moment threatened to overwhelm her but she brushed them aside and remained focused on the spot, that one quiet spot and _pushed._

The wheel spun.

The numbers rolled around, a whirl of flash and bright color and Rey stepped back. It was out of her hands now.

The wheel slowed, and before it came to a stop, she knew. She just knew.

The green five crawled past, and finally the wheel stopped, with the red pointer aimed squarely at the tall red numbers:

1 0 0

“She’s done it! One dollar, you’ve won $1000 and Rey is headed for the Showcase!” Drew announced

Rey jumped up happily, clapping and searching out her friends in the audience.

_A thousand dollars? That’s groceries, or rent or…oh my god, I’m going to the showcase…I…oh my god._

Finn and Jess were doing the “We’ve won!” dance they’d worked out in advance, assuming one of them would be the ones to get on as the masterminds of the operation, while Poe laughed and fist pumped.

“It’s time for the bonus spin!”

She realized Drew was steering her back to the wheel for another spin.

“Now for the bonus round, you want to land on the $5, the $15, or the $1 spots in order to win additional cash prizes. But you’ve got that $1000 to keep no matter what! Spin!”

Placing her fingers on the wheel in the same manner as before, Rey tried to remember how much pressure she’d used. Had she put any thought into it? Not really. She just...let go.

She took a breath, closed her eyes, and spun the wheel.

The shimmering wheel whirled past her eyes, and she again had the strangest sensation of being barely surprised when it did exactly what she wanted it to, and landed on the one-dollar spot.

The audience exploded and Drew congratulated her, shouting, “You’ve won $25,000! Wow! That was incredible.”

_$25,000._ Rey stared into the host’s kind eyes, uncomprehending. _It was just a game. How could it be that much?_

“What a fantastic showcase showdown! Stick around, everybody, we’ll be back with more show right after this.”

The cameras cut away for a planned commercial break.

“You okay? You look like somebody just hit your dog with a car,” Drew remarked.

“Really? I really get that much money?” She was afraid to hope.

“Yep. Well, ya know, there’s taxes too. California taxes are a bitch. You should check with an accountant. But-“

“Okay, gotcha. Thanks.” Rey grinned. “I think I love you, Drew Carey.”

“That’s what they all say thirty seconds after the showdown,” Drew said. “It’s the wheel. It gets everyone worked up.”

She laughed and her eyes wandered back to the audience, landing on Contestants Row. Irresistibly, she searched out the black-clad figure.

She wondered if he’d get his shot onstage. As his challenging eyes met hers, she asked herself, did she want him to?

* * *

She’d done it. The brunette had cleaned their clocks in the showcase showdown and dammit if he wasn’t a little excited by that.

He wanted to play her. Kylo wanted to win by defeating her, more to the point. Where was the fun in playing against weak competitors?

Maz had given him pause after she’d neatly won a new car in her round, but she was out in the showdown, so she wouldn’t be his competition. The remaining people in Contestants Row didn’t concern him at all. He was confident he would get there.

He had to. And then he could check off one more show on his list, one more way he could prove he was the best.

He just had to ignore any distractions that presented themselves, no matter how attractive they were.

* * *

Rey floated on the knowledge of her winnings throughout the second half of the show. She enthusiastically rooted for the other contestants, high on the adrenaline of her experience. Right after the mid-show break, the striking man in black won the bidding game and took the stage, and she had the pleasure of watching Drew Carey tease Kylo Ren about his name.

“Fantastic! Did you use a Dungeons and Dragons name generator?” Drew grinned.

Kylo laughed good-naturedly, his odd face displaying unexpectedly deep smile lines. As Drew explained the pricing game, Kylo shuffled his feet and unthinkingly tucked a lock of hair behind his right ear. A few seconds later, the man brushed the hair back down over his ear.

“Wow, his ears are bigger than his hands,” Poe said.

“Aww, I think it’s kinda endearing.” Rey shrugged.

“Oh, does someone have a crush on the big man?” Finn teased.

“Whatever, I just said his ears were alright.” Rey’s voice was indifferent but her cheeks were on fire.

“How many does he have right?” Drew asked onstage, as Kylo rearranged the numbers on a board.

Three dings sounded, and the audience shouted, pointing at the two remaining answers they thought should be swapped.

“You’ve won three prizes by the looks of it and can stop here.  You can choose to switch the numbers to see if you get all five prices right and win the Jeep…BUT you might get them wrong and lose it all. Stay and keep what you’ve won or go for the big prize?”

“I’m going to go for it, Drew,” Kylo nodded seriously before throwing the audience a broad smile. He assessed the board with a shrewd gaze and quickly switched two sets of digits.

A stunning model stepped forward to press the buttons and reveal….

“Yes! All five correct! You’ve won the Jeep Wrangler!”

The music swelled to accompany Kylo shaking Drew’s hand happily, and Rey suspected that the look on his face might’ve been the first genuine and wholehearted smile Kylo had given since he stepped onstage.

* * *

Kylo dominated his showcase showdown as well. He sent his competition (a statuesque blonde attorney named Phasma and a roly-poly orange-haired translator named Bebe) packing with a powerful spin of the wheel that landed firmly on one dollar, earning him a bonus of $1000.

His bonus spin didn’t go as well though. Watching her competition closely, Rey noticed him throwing too much strength into his spinning. It was uncontrolled and aggressive- he was working _against_ the wheel, trying to making it go exactly where he wanted.

Sometimes you just need to go with the flow, Rey reflected. And as she watched his arm muscles bulge and strain (strictly for competitive-research reasons, she told herself), she realized:

_I might actually win this whole thing._

* * *

“So. This has been an interesting day,” Rey mused, the corners of her mouth tilting up. Her fingertips rested on the podium in front of her. Around her and Kylo, the show’s staff bustled about, preparing for the final act of the show- the Showcase, where a fabulous array of prizes would be displayed for their “bidding” to determine a final winner.

Kylo turned to her and against his better judgment and all his plans, he found himself returning her gentle smile.

“Can I ask you something? You can ignore me if you want.”

“Alright.”

“Is that really your name?” Her dimples deepened.

He thought of his parents, and the phone calls he never returned. His father who always put his ambitions over his son’s. Han who never considered that appearing on _Family Feud_ would prevent his son from appearing on another show for the next year, as per the standard rules for game shows. Which meant that Ben would be forced to decline the invitations from _College Jeopardy!_ and _Who Wants to Be a Millionaire_ he was hoping for at the time. His father never valued academic games, and didn’t give a damn about how long Ben had studied before his auditions. Han just wanted them all to play together. He never _understood_. And his mother was caught between them.

It was best to go his own way.

Six months after he left home, he’d been the youngest $500,000 winner on _WWTBAM_ ever.

“Yes, it’s my name,” he replied.

“Come around these places often?” she joked.

“Yes, actually.” He shrugged. “Game shows are my thing. I’ve never seen you before.”

Rey nodded. “No, I’ve never been on one. Never wanted to be. Everything’s just kind of fallen into place. But I can’t say I have any regrets. I’ve met…some interesting people today.” A producer called a minute warning for returning to air.

“Well, best of luck to you, Kylo Ren,” Rey wished in her light voice, flavored with the remnants of a British accent. She extended her hand; accepting it, her small fingers were engulfed in his. They shook, and the heat of her palm pressed into him. Her eyes rose to meet Kylo’s, and suddenly he found it difficult to swallow.

Distracted, he didn’t realize until a producer coughed that their handshake had gone on too long.

He dropped Rey’s hand like hot coals and cleared his throat. “Good luck. You’ll need it.”

Her eyes lit up. “May the best woman win.”

He laughed deeply. He hadn’t looked forward to a game this much in years.

* * *

Rey saw her friends in the audience waving and dug for the secure place inside herself again. Beneath the blinding lights, ear-shattering noise and auditorium full of stares, she had to find her center. She tuned out the crowd, the stage, the host, the intriguing man beside her, even her friends, until it was just her and the showcase before her.

The first showcase was presented to Kylo for bidding, as his earlier round prize was worth more than hers. It was up to him decide if he wanted to bid on this showcase of amazing prizes or pass it on to Rey, and go for the second showcase, whatever it may be. There was a risk in that, but the second showcase tended to be better. Rey rarely watched _The Price is Right_ and even she knew that.

After viewing the showcases, they would each bid on theirs and whoever came the closest without going on would win their showcase. Rey intended to be that winner. But first, she had to control her anxiety and wait while Kylo decided whether to play or pass.

The announcer waved lyrical about the beauty of rustic Alaska in the first showcase, “On this incredible vacation for you and a guest! But why stay in a hotel when you can use your newwwwwwwww camper! The new Coachmen Freedom Express travel trailer will provide home-style comfort. This can all be yours if _The Price is Right!”_

Rey glanced at her competitor for his decision, which was immediate. He nodded curtly to Drew: “I’ll pass to Rey.”

_Fuck, I knew it. I knew it. Stay calm, stay calm._

For a heartbeat, she felt the sheer panic she did when she fell off her board and sank into the ocean with water shoving up her nose. But as always, Rey knew how to survive. She exhaled slowly, let her eyes drift across the display and let the pieces of knowledge assemble in her mind.

_Campers, we see them up and down the coast. Jess talked about getting one with Ehuang someday if they get married, but the one she liked was a lot bigger than this, really expensive. That one was more like $40-50,000. That dealership we pass on the freeway- the signs…is it comparable? And the Alaska trip….airfare…_

The numbers flowed together in her mind, into a solid shape Rey liked.

“$27, 500. That’s my bid.”

It was done. All she could now was wait.

* * *

_Damn. That was a good wager._

Kylo saw the flash of panic in Rey’s eyes as he threw the showcase over to her, but she overcame it quickly and came up with the good bid in an amazingly fast time. She hadn’t even consulted with the audience, who were frantically waving fingers at her with their bid suggestions. She’d closed her eyes, and found the answer within herself.

And now it was his turn.

A sparkling screen appeared, and the announcer drawled, “Welllllll, I hope you had a good night’s rest, because you might be going to….the City That Never Sleeps! First up in a one-week, all-expense paid trip to New York City. You and a guest will stay at the W Hotel, enjoying fine dining and service.

After your trip, if you decide to get a little shut-eye, you can do so in your…new bed! This Hooker Sanctuary Platform Bed will have you sleeping in luxury and style. But don’t get too comfortable. After you catch up on your rest, you’ll be off to the City of Light. Romance and magic awaits you and a guest at the Juliana Hotel, where you’ll stay for seven nights in Paris!”

The announcer’s patter barely registered on Kylo, who was already calculating his bid. Drew approached his podium.

“Wow, Paris and New York. That is some showcase. So what’s it going to be, Kylo?”

_Domestic airfare times two, hotel for seven days, international airfare times two, seven days in Paris, plus the ugly bed which was at least $2800…_

Kylo’s mind jumped around with numbers, and he grabbed at the figures in his mind. Triumphantly he arrived at a final row of digits and leaned down to the microphone to state clearly:

“$31,250.”

* * *

Drew Carey whipped out his card with the showcases prices and smiled genially for the crowd. It was the moment of truth. Rey and Kylo shared a silent moment, acknowledging one of them was about to win, and the other was going to have to live with knowing they came that close.

“And the actual retail price of the first showcase issss….$27, 845. That’s a difference of $345! Nicely done, Rey.”

Rey screeched and clapped her hand over her wide grin. The audience roared for the woman and her spot-on bid.

“Now…can he beat this. Kylo’s had an incredible game. He’s taking home that Jeep and a thousand dollars. Will he be taking home these phenomenal trips as well? Let’s see. The actual retail price of your showcase is…$31, 725, a different of $475!” Drew smiled. “Congratulations, Rey, you’re our winner! Wow, _great_ game you two.”

Since arriving in the USA, she hadn’t left it. She had lost one family and then been booted from one foster home to another, but she remained circling in the drain of southern California through the years.

Now after years of lean, twenty-five thousand dollars and vacations to Cancun and Alaska dropped in her lap. And the camper. She wasn’t sure what she would do with that, not having a car of her own to attach to it to, but she’d sort it out.

“It’s because of you,” Rey gushed, squeezing her friends tight to her as they rushed the stage. “Thank you so much.”

“Well, you won the game yourself. Do I get a finder’s fee? Gas money?” Finn joked as he hugged her in return.

“You can have this pink shirt back.”

“Fair enough.”

“Hey Rey, that hot mean boy is looking at you,” Poe observed.

“What?” She flushed. “Oh he’s not so bad. It was a fair fight. Should I say something?”

“You clearly want to.” Jess hugged her and then nudged her toward Kylo. The theme music played louder and Jess’s voice rose. “Go on.”

* * *

 

Stunned, Kylo turned to look at Rey.

A margin of $130. That was all that stood between him and victory. An unlikely $130, and a young woman he never could have seen coming.

Her friends rushed to join Rey onstage, whooping and wrapping her up in hugs. Drew Carey shook his hand apologetically, and then Kylo stepped back, unsure of where to go next. Losing wasn’t in his plan. He felt as though he’d been slapped in the face. Not by her, but by his own mistake. How could he have miscalculated?

He was vaguely aware of Drew signing off the show over the jaunty theme music. “….help control the pet population by spaying and neutering your pets…”

Kylo reminded himself this wasn’t the first time he lost. What most people saw as him winning $500k on _Millionaire_ , he saw as him walking away without the big money. He could always do better.

He breathed deep, and turned back to Rey to extend his hand to her as she disengaged from her friends’ embraces.

“Hi. Hello,” she said unnecessarily, shaking his hand. “I don’t know why I said that. I just wanted to say- fantastic game. And it was nice meeting you.”

“It was. I didn’t expect- I just came here to play. And win. It’s what I do.” He grinned crookedly. “Most of the time.”

“You won a Jeep. And money.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. So don’t be a jerk,” Rey ordered. Her English accent was stronger when she was impatient, he noticed. “I was starting to rather like you, so don’t go back to being rude again.”

“Oh were you?” His smile spread and the sting of his loss abated. “So I guess I should buy you lunch then.”

“Okay, offering to buy me food is literally the best thing anyone can do. I’m just saying.” Rey shrugged indifferently, but her dimples showed and the sparkles returned to her eyes.

“It’s been a long morning. I could use a meal.” Seriousness returned to his long face. “Will you join me? No games.”

“It’s a deal.” She agreed. “No games.”


End file.
